Volgens een recent literatuuronderzoek zijn de voornaamste neurokognitieve klachten,

t.w. problemen met (het vasthouden van) de aandacht, het geheugen en het reageren,

meetbaar aanwezig, komen de metingen overeen met hetgeen de patiënt zelf aangeeft

en hebben die klachten onvermijdelijk invloed op het dagelijkse functioneren.

Citaten uit het uitgebreide studierapport:

Results

In addition to

deficits in information-processing speed,

persons with CFS were impaired on tests

that assess working memory over a sustained period of time

(i.e. N-Back Memory Task, Short Term Memory Scanning Task, Spatial Working Memory).

Immediate recall was impaired, as was delayed recall and recognition.

The deficits in information-processing speed and working memory

identified by this study

may contribute to these problems with initial learning.

Verbal abilities and language were also largely preserved,

except for category fluency,

which may be reliant on working memory for successful completion.

Finally, higher order cognitive functions appear to be intact,

consistent with the findings of previous reviews.

Overall,

the impairments identified by objective cognitive tests

are congruent with the memory and concentration problems reported by persons with CFS.

The cause of these cognitive deficits is uncertain.

Depression may be a contributing factor

but, as previously discussed,

greater deficits have been found

in people with CFS without co-morbid depression.

Conclusions

In conclusion,

this study provides objective evidence of

cognitive deficits in persons with CFS,

primarily in the domains of attention, memory and RT.

Both simple and complex information processing speed are impaired,

along with working memory.

The data also suggest that

memory deficits may be due to the poor initial acquisition of information,

but more studies are needed to investigate this.

The deficits in performance are around 0.5-1.0 S.D. below that of their healthy peers,

which is likely to have an impact on day-to-day activities.

Cognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome: a meta-analysis.

Psychol Med. 2010 Jan 5:1-15. [Epub ahead of print]

Cockshell SJ, Mathias JL.

BACKGROUND:

Cognitive problems

are commonly reported in

persons with

chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and

are one of the most disabling symptoms

of this condition.

A number of cognitive deficits

have been identified,

although

the findings are inconsistent and

hindered by methodological differences.

The current study therefore conducted

a meta-analysis of research

examining

cognitive functioning

in persons with CFS

in order

to identify

the pattern and

magnitude of any deficits

that are associated with this condition.

METHOD:

A comprehensive search of the PubMed and PsycINFO databases for

studies that examined cognitive functioning in CFS

between 1988 and 2008

identified 50 eligible studies.

Weighted Cohen's d effect sizes,

95% confidence intervals and

fail-safe Ns

were calculated for each cognitive score.

RESULTS:

Evidence of

cognitive deficits

in persons with CFS

was found

primarily in the domains of

attention,

memory and

reaction time.

Deficits

were not apparent on

tests of

fine motor speed,

vocabulary,

reasoning and

global functioning.

CONCLUSIONS:

Persons with CFS demonstrate

moderate to large impairments

in simple and

complex information processing speed and

in tasks requiring working memory over a sustained period of time.

PMID: 20047703 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20047703